DH has had two weeks of holidays and we have been spending the time by taking road trips. We have had a great time. Today we are going to spend a night in a motel and then come home tomorrow. Boots goes with us. I had a nice birthday, and YES I am now 21!!!

Thanks for remembering me! Hugs to all.

__________________

I love to give homemade gifts... which one of my kids do you want?
Christine

Now that you are legal, watch that dirty old man of your and nights in motels.

Also, let him know if he needs any suggestion he knows how to contact me.

Ah Chris, you are so funny! I will "watch" that dirty old man in motel rooms! We had a great time and didn't need to call you for instructions although he did say he wanted you to send him the pattern..... don't know what he means by that!

__________________

I love to give homemade gifts... which one of my kids do you want?
Christine

Happy New Year to you, too! To ALL of you!
I think it's time for an update from everyone! I'll start!
DS got married in June...Nice wedding, great wife!
DD moved out in November....Empty nest, here we come....Except DH broke his foot on the last trip down the stairs. He's on crutches for at least another month. We had a nice Christmas, though....It was kind of nice having him slowed down a little!
I lost my knitting bag, including ALL of my KP needles, accessories, etc. Thankfully, a couple of generous people have sent me some needles and accessories, so I'm back to knitting! I'm making a throw for the living room. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/libr...ick-knit-throw in Malabrigo burgundy. It's about 4' long right now, so I have a bit more to knit.
So what's going on for the rest of you?!?

Well in June I left the teaching course and since then have been trying to figure out what else to do. I have pretty much decided that I have no desire to go back to teaching so at least I have decided something. I joined a couple of agencies, one for work in a school and one for work in a University. I've been working for the University agency since September taking notes for a student who has dyslexia. It's a nice job but only temporary and part time so I'm still looking for something a little more permanent.

As far as knitting goes I finished a log cabin blanket that has been sitting around for about 3 years, I made a sweater for my brand new cousin, I finished an Irish Hiking Scarf for my Mum and a few other little things. No socks to speak of I'm afraid. Maybe 2012 will see socks make a come back.

Chris, congrats on retiring! I know you weren't very happy in your job....Glad you had a good option come up!
I think I have the needles I need right now....I don't even know what all sizes I have because the one thing I don't have is a needle gauge. I knit exclusively with circulars.

Rache, knowing what you DON'T want to do is important, too! You'll find something! I met a guy the other day who said life's happiness is an equation. Job, family, church, friends, location, etc all play into it......Sometimes just accepting that your job is NOT part of what makes you happy and holding onto those things that DO make you happy makes a crappy job okay.

Happy New Year everyone! Congratulations for retirements, weddings, new jobs, etc.

My current knitting project is a baby blanket for my friend's daughter. She was due Jan. 1, but decided to be born almost a month early. Her name is Lily. She's a sweetheart but she's been keeping her mom awake! Anyway, the blanket should be done soon.

I got a few KP Options Harmony needles for Christmas. They're much slicker than I expected, so while I'm still annoyed that they don't carry non-nickel metal needles, I'm pleased with the acquisition. They're making the baby blanket progress much more efficiently!

I'm still in the midst of the master's program, but I've been applying for summer jobs and I'm planning to take some time off when I finish and work a real job and make some money and decide if I'm really sure I want to do a doctoral degree at this point, and if so, what kind and where. At the moment I'm applying to the National Parks Service, US Forest Service, and I'll be applying to some zoos probably, too. I'm being directionless. It's annoying because directionless people don't make enough money to live on. I'm tired of that.

Gina, I'll add myself to the list of people wanting to know what size needles you are looking for. I have at least one or two circular needles I rarely use.